TSA

A letter from the widow of a flight attendant who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is being used by airline unions to protest the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) decision to allow knives onto airplanes.

The letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole was written by the wife of a flight attendant who was working on United Flight 175, which crashed into the World Trade Center’s South Tower on Sept. 11 after being hijacked by terrorists who were reportedly using knives and box cutters.  

The letter was released this week by the Flight Attendants’ Union Coalition, which includes the Association of Flight Attendants – Communications Workers of America (AFA-CWA) and Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA).

“In the wake of (Monday's) unsolved terror attacks in Boston, I am writing to beg you to maintain the current TSA prohibited-items list and not allow knives on U.S. airline flights,” Rebecca Marchand wrote to Pistole. Read more...

Frontline employees of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were not consulted about the agency's decision to begin allowing knives onto airplanes, the union that represents TSA workers said Thursday.

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) General Counsel David Borer told a committee of lawmakers in the House that the TSA union supported the agency’s “risk-based” security initiatives, but thought that it was too risky to begin allowing knives onto planes.

“Operational experience and common sense tell us that allowing knives through the checkpoint and onto the aircraft increases the safety and security risk to [Transportation Security Officers], crew members and passengers,” Borer said in testimony submitted to the House Homeland Security on Thursday. 

Your morning transportation speed-read:

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) said the stabbings of 14 students should convince TSA not to allow knives on planes.

A group of House Democrats say it's time the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) stop defending its decision to allow knives on airplanes — and instead just drop the controversial proposal.

"On March 21, 2013, we along with 133 members of Congress, wrote to you requesting that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) maintain knives and sporting equipment on the Prohibited Items List (PIL) until a process of formal consultation is conducted with all stakeholders through the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC)," Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter to TSA administrator John Pistole.

"On April 3, 2013, we received a letter from you outlining the reasoning behind your decision to permit certain sporting goods and knives to be carried aboard a plane by a passenger," the lawmakers continued. 

"While we appreciate your effort to elaborate on the factors you used in reaching your decision, we continue to question the failure to include stakeholders through the established ASAC process. Your response letter did not address this central concern." 

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) is criticizing the House committee that oversees transportation security for leaving it off an upcoming panel on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The Euless, Texas-based APFA, which represents American Airlines employees, had hoped to use the Thursday hearing to discuss the TSA's decision to allow knives onto airplanes, which the union is vocally opposing.

The hearing is scheduled to focus on TSA's efforts to switch to a "risk-based" airport security system, which the agency has said used to rebut criticisms of its decision to allow knives shorter than 2.36 inches onto airplanes. 

Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) is calling on his House colleagues to support the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) policy of allowing small knives onto passenger aircraft, despite efforts from dozens of others in Congress to reverse this decision.

In a "dear colleague" letter sent last week, Salmon said TSA's proposal to allow small pocket knives on board later this month would help TSA focus on keeping bombs, guns and other weapons off flights.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is making expedited airport security screenings available to injured military members.

The announcement follows a recent incident involving a wheelchair-bound member of the Marines at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport. The Marine alleged he was forced to remove his prosthetic legs.

The TSA denied forcing the amputee to take off his legs, but the agency said that it was extending more options for expedited screening to injured military personnel starting Wednesday. 

“In recognition of the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, we have revised our screening requirements to allow expedited screening for this trusted group of citizens,” said TSA Deputy Administrator John Halinski, who the agency said was a 25-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran himself.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Tuesday that it stopped a passenger at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport who was carrying a loaded gun in his carry-on luggage on Monday.

The passenger, who was flying from Washington to Montreal, was carrying a .40 caliber handgun that was loaded with five rounds, the agency said.

The man, whose name was not released, was charged with violating weapons laws in Virginia, where Reagan Airport is located.

TSA said the passenger’s gun was confiscated by airport police, but he was allowed to continue on his flight. 

TSA told The Hill that it was planning to implement the change on April 25, despite the mounting political pressure.